Media urged to stop using W.H. photos

11/21/13 3:30 PM EST

Hours after protesting the White House policy of banning photographers from certain events, the Associated Press Media Editors and the American Society of Newspaper Editors are calling on members to stop publishing photos and videos provided by the White House Press Office.

"We must accept that we, the press, have been enablers," the organizations wrote in a letter on Thursday. "We urge those of you in news organizations to immediately refrain from publishing any of the photographs or videos released by the White House, just as you would refuse to run verbatim a press release from them."

Earlier on Thursday, the organizations joined the White House Correspondents Association and several of America's leading news organizations to protest the White House policy of banning photojournalists from certain events.

"As surely as if they were placing a hand over a journalist’s camera lens, officials in this administration are blocking the public from having an independent view of important functions of the Executive Branch of government," the group wrote in a letter delivered to the White House press office.

The White House often releases official government photos and videos in lieu of allowing photojournalists to cover events with the president.